"We don't often look at the website..."

Amid the gloom out there many companies are thriving because they have a clear value proposition, they are consistently communicating targeted offers to their customers, and they have their business processes operating efficiently and effectively.

Such companies prize new, walk-in customers because they represent everything they are looking for: expansion of their market, readiness to buy, and cash.

But other organisations are not so well structured: Case in point - true story - the customer searched in the online yellow guide, found a prospective supplier, called them on a Saturday to place an order and found the office unattended - no answering system, voicemail, nothing.

Persistently, he Googled them and found the website they hadn't listed with yellow, and right there was an e-mail address and enquiries form! Filling in the form, he placed the order and awaited a call early the following week. Still nothing. His office manager rang the store and asked if they had received the order and when could delivery be expected, please?

"What... Eh?? Oh! We don't usually look at the website, most people come to the store!"

Most people might. But if you could grow the market by advertising, attracting a customer who converts on your website to place an order, why wouldn't you want to check the website eagerly at least once a day?

If that's too much trouble, set up a process that sends an e-mail alert to someone with a pulse who can then process the order, deliver the goods and count the cash that ensues.

If you have a suspicion this story could be about your business, and don't know how to fix the problem, we'd be happy to help put you on the right track.

Don't read this...

In fact, stop taking any notice of anything you read in the newspapers, or see on TV, or hear on the radio.

Because 99% of it is damaging your brain. That's right - all those negative messages are filling your mind with the thought that it is inevitable our economy will soon be in the grip of recession, if not deflation, depression, drought, famine, plague and possibly pestilence.

The other day I asked an eminent international banker to explain to me what caused the so-called global financial crisis. He explained it thus: The banks forgot the basics that they need to balance risk against reward and lent a whole lot of money to people who spent it instead of investing it wisely. Some of those people can't repay the loans, which have been turned into complicated secondary market financial instruments and sold on to unsuspecting institutions. A kind of toxic, pass-the parcel of debt. Now the margins of these banks have been decimated (and the full story might not yet be out on all of that), so now the banks are suspicious of anyone who needs to borrow, and will only lend money to people who can prove they don't need it.

Sounds familiar. But the key thing is that people still need to eat, wear clothes and keep a roof over their heads. They still need medical care, they need to travel to work and home again, and they need to be entertained - so while some businesses will be doing it a bit tough, most are going to survive just as they did before.

The most obvious response for businesses would be to abandon all marketing and business development work until the worst is over. To hunker down and batten the hatches, cutting all but the most vital of costs, and slimming the operation down, right?

Wrong! Companies that do that wind up so slim they are effectively atrophied. When the good times return, they don't have the capacity to walk, let alone run. The ironic thing is many of those companies then fail just as the economy goes back to the boom cycle.

The smartest managers are looking at ways to increase market share when everyone else is simply trying to maintain profitability. Market share increases in a down economy translate to much larger market share - and commensurate profit increases - when the upturn occurs.

So, don't do the obvious. Think - and act - counter-intuitively, and thrive. The economy might be down. But it isn't out. As the song goes in Spamalot - "I'm Not Dead Yet".

At last. Tourism Australia focuses on the customer value proposition

After a disastrous international response to the "Where the bl**dy hell are you?" campaign, Tourism Australia has gone back to basics - with some very expensive big guns - to focus on the real value proposition - what does a tourist get from a visit to Australia?

The exquisitely beautiful mini-movies by Baz Luhrmann have very high production values and would impress anyone whether contemplating an Australian holiday or not. But the sub-text - of people who have to get lost in order to find their inner selves - is as compelling as any value proposition can ever get.

Capturing the essence of what really constitutes the value to the target customer is tricky and requires specialist marketing help. Clearly, Tourism Australia has the budget to bring in the brightest and the best to help them.

Well done to all concerned. The current international financial environment makes this a tough market, but the first step - getting the value proposition right - is the most important and you can't help but feel this campaign will succeed.

Succession Planning - Football club shows how it's done

The Brisbane Lions did not waste any time when coach Leigh Matthews resigned in September 2008. Chairman Tony Kelly knew exactly who he wanted, and where to get hold of him. Within hours, he was on the phone to Michael Voss. And within three days Voss was installed as coach.

Many corporates, not to mention a few political parties around Australia, could learn a great deal from such precise execution of what clearly was a long-contemplated succession plan.

Plan it. Do it. Excellent work.

Top 20 Brands in Australia - Survey

According to a recent survey by brand consultancy Belong, and publicised through the major newspapers, the following is what they are trying to tell us (I suspect, tongue in cheek) is a list of the TOP 20 BRANDS IN AUSTRALIA:

1. Hells Angels
2. Apple
3. Star Wars
4. Dove
5. Moleskine
6. Smiggle
7. The Body Shop
8. Virgin
9. Alannah Hill
10. Ecko
11. Catholic Church
12. Nike
13. Free Hugs
14. Harley Davidson
15. Peter Alexander
16. T2
17. Bra Boys
18. Sunrise
19. Circus Oz
20. Boost

Surprised? I was. A brand had to fulfil three criteria: whether consumers could easily understand what it stood for, if there was a clearly articulated belief, and whether there was behaviour particular to the brand, for example, people went to great lengths to defend it.

On that basis, I'm wondering how footy, booze and cigarettes have failed to make the grade.

For my money, a better set of criteria would have been:

• Visibility within the category
• Whether that visibility adds to market share
• Durability
• Price premium

What would be on your list of Top 20 Brands? What criteria would you use?

Starbucks closures no surprise

Starbucks closing stores in the US and Australia doesn't surprise me at all.

They lost touch with their consumers after the IPO when pleasing Wall Street became a more important strategic imperative than pleasing the paying punters.

Frankly, I have never enjoyed Starbucks coffee. In Australia we are positively spoiled for choice and for my taste, the plethora of small, family owned (often Italian) cafes have always provided better taste and better service at often less than half the price of Starbucks.

I admit I am a purist. And that extends beyond coffee to Marketing. I simply never believed the premium-priced highly-optioned formula could work in a mass consumer market. By definition, the premium pricing denotes some kind of exclusivity. And mass-marketing exclusivity and expecting consumers to pay over two times the going rate for it, eventually, is going to fail.

It's not just a question of taste. It's that uncommon quality, called common sense.

It's a blank page. Want to know how the story ends?

2008. It's only just begun. But if you want to know how it will end, you need to know what sort of an ending you are looking for.

Objective setting. Something that is a really good idea this time of year. Often things are a bit quieter in the first couple of weeks in the New Year. Lots of staff and customers are on leave. Time for a spot of creative thinking.

Let the imagination run free. Consider the possibilities. Try new things.

With a good set of objectives, and a robust, flexible plan to execute, 2008 can have a very happy ending indeed.

Go on. Start now. The year is still young enough to learn from you.